Assighob



J. C. McLAUGHLIN.

COIN OPERATED TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. I916.

9 294, Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES- J. C. McLAUGHLIN.

com OPERATED TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.29, I916.

Pniented July 2 SHEEIS" SHEET 2 FIG. 7.

3/ I If IIIIIIIIIl/I.

FIGEI.

FIGJZ FIGJQ.

INVENTDR:

JGHNJC. MGLAUGHLIN, 0?? EAST QRANGE,

new .essrenor. so nntosnwoon TYPEYVRITER 00:35PM, 0.? NEH YORK, YET. "L,ACGEPQMTIQN 53F incense.

Application filed November 29, 3915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN Q. McLAUoH- LIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoin-6perated Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

ihis invention relates to a coin-operated machine, and more particularlyto means for preventing spurious coins from operating the machine, andfor preventing the fraudulent representation, by the user of themachine, that a good coin was used and that the machine tailed tooperate.

A feature of this invention is the provision of improved means forpreventing the use of spurious coins in a time-controlled machine inwhich the machine is unlocked. so as to be usable when the coin isplaced in the machine and is held unlocked for a predetermined length oftime, at the expiration of which the machine is automatically lockedagain.

t has been found that in some instances a person, wishing to use themachine without paying therefor, would pretend to insert a coin and thennotify the attendant in charge of the machine that a coin had beeninserted, but that the machine had failed to operate.

I provide means whereby, after a good coin has been placed in themachine, it will remain in view until the expiration of a predeterminedtime, when the machine will be locked against further use. 'ILhus, theattendant can always determine for himself whether or not a good coinhas been placed in the machine.

The mechanism for accomplishing this may comprise a chute-like holderfor receiving the coin, open at the bottom and pro vided with a springto enga e and hold a coin of proper dimension. he coin acts as aninterponent between a part actuated by the operator, which may be in theform of an elongated nose adapted to engage the coin, and a part adaptedto unlock the ma chine. If a washer is used, the nose, entering theopening in said washer, fails to effect the proper movement of thecoin-holder nec essary to unlock the machine. Should a fibrous disk beplaced in the holder, said fiber being engaged only by a small marginSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Judy d, 131%.

Serial No. 3.18%,983.

- by the coin'holder, would be forced out of the coin-holder.

in order to cause the coin to remain VlS- ible whiie the machine isusable, the coin may be freed from the coin-holder by the movement ofthe holding spring. When freed from the coin-holder, the coin may dropupon a tray arranged directly behind or beneath windows, through whichthe coin may be viewed. After the lapse ofa predetermined time, when themachine is again locked against use, the coin may be 1 the parts areshown as having been just unlocked, the knob for unlocking the machinenot having been released by the operator.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the parts in, the same position asshown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the parts in normal position, a coinbeing shown in dotted lines, about to enter the machine.

Fig. 5 is front elevation showing the parts shown in Fig. 3 with theactuating knob and parts returning to normal position, the coin beingshown in the act of assuming a visible position.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the parts as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation showing the actuating knob returned tonormal position, the coin being shown as resting on the coin-chute invisible position, the opening being shown in dot-and-dash lines.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation showing the way the parts operate when awasher is used in an effort to operate the machine.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation showing a disk which was too thick tooperate the machine and therefore remained in the actuating parts, thedisk being shown as being removed by the insertion of a coin.

. chine such as illustrated in the patent to Gorcoran 990,112, in whichthe keys 20 of the machine, having hooks 21, are normally held againstdepression by a bail 22 underlying said hooks. The bail 22 comprisesarms 23 and a shaft 24, and is locked beneath the hooks of the keys bymeans of an arm 25, bearing against one of the arms 23 and rising fromthe shaft 26. Fixed to the shaft 26 is an arm 27, having a pin 30 toengage a flat portion 29 on a locking bar 28, so asto hold said arm 27and connected parts against motion, as seen in Fig. 1. The arm 27 andthe locking bar 28 being inside the casing 31 of the coin-operated,time-controlled mechanism, can not be moved or operated to unlock themachine except by the insertion of a coin.

' In order to unlock the machine, the operator first inserts a cointhrough a slot 32- in the casing. The inserted coin has the effect ofacting as an interponent between two parts of the mechanism, one partbeing connected to an operating knob 33 at the outside of the casing,and the other part being connected to the locking bar 28, so as to causethe knob 33, when turned by the operator, to operate the bar 28 movingthe flat portion 29 thereon, away from the pin 30, thereby permittingthe arms 25, 27 to be moved to inoperative position by a spring 34, thisin turn permits the bail 22 to be moved to ineffective position by aspring 35, thereby unlocking the keys of the machine.

After the keys of the machine are unlocked, the bar 28 is latched ininoperative position, and remains so until the lapse of a period of timedetermined by the timecontrolling mechanism.

As the bar 28 descends to unlock the keys, a pin 36, on sald bar, and apin 37, on an arm 38, pivoted at 39 and geared to the bar 28 by gearing40, each release a pawl 41, which-is mounted at 42 on a timing plate 43,and which is moved by its spring 44 into engagement with a ratchet Wheel45 fixed to an arbor 46 of a clock-work 47. After having released thepawls 41, the arm 38 and the bar 28 are held in releasing position by anarm 48, pivoted at 49 to the arm 38 and having a stud 50, which, as thebar descends, falls into a notch 51 on the arm 52 on said bar. The arm48 is then detained in this position by a latch 53, pivoted at ecaeea39, and having a notch 54, which falls over a pin 55 on the arm 48 andlocks said arm with its stud 50 in the notch 51 on the arm 28.

At the expiration of the time during which the machine may be used, apin 56 on the timing plate 43, which is being rotated by the clock-work,cams a trip-lever 57 pivotally mounted on the arm 48, causing saidtrip-lever 57, through a pin 58 thereon, to lift up a hooked arm 59 onthe latch 53, therebyreleasing the arm 48. As the pin 56 continues itscamming action, the pin 58 strikes against 2. lug 60 on the arm 48, andfurther camming action acts upon the triplever 57 and forces the stud 50out of the notch 51, thereby allowing a spring 61, connected to the arm38 and the bar 28, to return said arm and bar to their normal positions.The arm 38 and the bar 28, returning to normal position, cause the pins36 and 37 to engage the ends of the pawls 41, thereby releasing thetiming plate from the clockwork; and the bar 28, having a cam portion62, cams out the pin 30, locking the keys against'action. A lug 62co-acts with the lug 60 in limiting the movement of the trip lever 57.

In order to inform the operator at the beginning and end of the periodof time during which the machine may be used, a bell 63, mounted on thecasing by a screw 64, is struck by means of a hammer 64 loosely mountedon the arbor 46 of the clock-Work, and operated by means of a pin 65 onthe bar 28, which engages a tappet 66 pivoted to the downwardlyextendingarm 66 of the hammer. The connections between the bell-hammer 64 and thebar 28 are such that as the bar descends to unlock the keys, the hammeris moved against the tension of the spring 67, and is then released,thus causing the spring to throw the hammer against the bell. The sameaction takes place at the ascending or looking movement of the bar 28.

The coin, in being placed in the machine, is dropped through the slot 32in the casing 31 and falls into the chute-like slot 69 in a holder 68,in which the coin is temporarily held by a leaf spring 70, fastened tothe holder 68 at 70*. The holder, pivotally mounted on a shaft 71,bearing in the casing 31, is provided with an arm 72, connectedv by alink 73 to the locking bar 28, so that. as the knob 33 (which is fixedto the shaft 71) is turned, an operating arm 74, also fixed to the shaft71, strikes against the coin in said holder and rocks said holder,thereby operating the locking bar 28. Thus, it will be seen that thecoin, when in the holder, acts as an interponent between the operatingknob 33 and the locking bar 28, to cause said arm to operate the lockingbar 28 and therebyunlock the keys of the machine for use. If, however,no coin is placed in the machine, the operating arm 74 will move idlypast the holder 68, without operating same; the holder being providedwith an opening 7 5 through which the arm is may freely pass. After theknob 33 is turned and is released, a spring 76, connected at one end tothe operating arm 74 and at the other end to the casing, causes thelrnolo and arm to return to normal position.

In order to prevent the use of a spurious metal disk for operating themachine, the

holding spring '70 is provided with a V- shaped notch 77 (Fig. 10),whose sides will not detain a disk thinner than the proper coin, butwill only engage and hold a coin or" the proper thickness. it the diskused is of less diameter than the proper coin, the spring again will nothe eilective in detaining the disk in the holder, for it such a disk isused it would pass idly between the wall of the chute-like sloth?) andthe spring '20, and out or the holder.

When a good coin of the proper denomination.is placed in the holder, andthe knob 33 is turned, the said holder 68 will he moved with theoperating arm 7% until the coin strikes against an arm 7 8 secured thecasing by screws '29 As the coin and the holder approach this position,as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the spring 70 is cammed out, so as to releasethe coin from the holding spring 70 by an arm 80 mounted on the screw 79and provided with a cam portion 81 which engages the spring T0 as shownin Fig. 6. The

coin, however, is held in the holder by frictional engagement with theactuating arm is until the lrnob 33 is released and the spring 76returns the actuating arm. The coin, when thus released, drops upon a.tray 82 which assists in guiding thecoiu to the receptacle 83.

I provide mechanism whereby the coin or disk, which has been used tounlock the machine, may be viewed during the entire period in which thetypewriting or other connected machine may he used, so that the personin charge or the machine may, from time to time, inspect the last coinplaced in the machines in use.

For accomplishing this, I provide an abutment in the path followed bythe coin from the holder 68 to the receptacle 8-3. This abutment maycomprise an upturned portion 8% of a chute 35, which co-acts with thetray 82 in guiding the coin.- This ahutuientBa arrests the coin on thetray directly in front of and heneath openings or windows 86 provided inthe casing 31, through which the coin may he viewed. The coin is held inthis position during the entire period in which the typewriting or otherconnected machine may he used, and is released at the close of.

said period. This may he done by securing the tray to the holder 68,which, hy reason of the connection between its arm '?'2 and the lockingbar 28, is held in operated position until the machine is again locked.As the holder returns to normal position, the tray 82 will be liftedabove the ahutrnent 84, thus permitting free passage of the coin fromthe tray 82 to the chute $5, and thence out of sight into the receptacle83.

Should a person try to unlock the machine by the use of spurious coins,or fail to place any coin in the machine, and make representations tothe person in charge of the machine, that a good coin was used but themachine failed to operate, the attendant may easily detect the fraud,for, if a good coin had been used, it would he visible through thewindows 86. If there is really a case of fraud, the very absence of thecoin from the tray proves it; for it a coin placed in the machine is inany way uniitted to act as an interponent' between the actuating arm 7eand the holder 68, (which cooperation is necessary to cause the machineto become usahie), said unlit coin, hy reason of the fact that theholder has not moved from normal position in which the tray is raisedabove the abutment 84, would pass over said ahutment and out of sight.The tray 82 may be secured to a huh 87 to which the holder 58 isconnected, i

in order to prevent the use or" a washer in an effort to unlock themachine for operation, the part of the actuating arm is which strikesthe coin is made in the form of a long nose 88, adapted to enter intothe hole in the washer; so that when the lrnoh 33 is rotated, the nose88 of the actuating arm will enter the hole in said washer, and thusfail to move the holder to the position at which it would cause themachine to become usable.

As illustrated in Fig. 8, the actuating arm 'Z i is provided at the baseor" the nose 88 with a lug or projection 89, adapted to strike thewasher after the nose has fully entered the hole in the washer. This isdone so as to pre- 1 vent the washer and nose from becoming caught uponeach other. This striking against the washer, although it may cause theholder to he moved, does not cause it to he moved suu iciently to permitthe locking bar to move to inefiective position.

ghould a piece oi? paper or other fibrous material he inserted in theholder in an efiort to operate the machine, the paper heing only held byits side edges, would he forced out of the holder by the nose strikingin the center thereof, thus preventing the holder from being me ved tounlocking position.

Variations may he resorted to within the scope or the invention, andportions of the improvements may he used without others.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

It. In a coin-operated time-controlled machine, the combination with atemporary coin-holder, of a device for causing said coin to remain insaid holder, said device being effective only on coins of a certainthickness, means for releasing said coin from said holder concomitantlycausing the machine to be usable, means upon which the coin is adapted.to rest after being released from said ter porary holder, means wherebycoin may viewed, and means operated concomitantly with the mechanism forrendering the machine unusable "for causing the coin to pass out ofsight.

2, in a coin-operated time-controlled machine, the coinhination with acasing having a slot through which the coin may he passed, of releasingmechanism, time-controlling mechanism, holder for receiving the coin,said holder being connected to the releasing mechanism, whereby themachine may he used, and whereby "he time-centre ling mechanism is putinto oneration, means associated with said holder for retaining onlycoins of prop-er thickness, actuating means controlled by the operatorfor operating the holder through the coin held therein, and means forreleasing the coin from said holder, after the machine has been madeusable, and after the time-controlling mechanism has been set inoperation,

3, a coin-operated time-controlled machine, the combination with acasing, of a coin holder within said casing, actuator for operating saidcoin holder, means to release the coin from the holder when said holderis actuated, a coin chute within said casing to receive the coin fromsaid holder, said chute corny sing two relatively inc-vahle parts, oneor said relatively movable parts of the coin chute losing secured to theholder, an ahutrnent to arrest the coin on the coin chute, means forretaining the holder in actuated position, and means for returning saidholder normal position, said returning action Loving movable part of thecoin chute, so to allow the coin to pass the abutment thereon,

l. "in a coin operated time controlled mechanism, the combination with aswingcoin-chute, a spring-detent adapted to retain a coin of properthickness in the chute, hut adapted to permita disk of less thickness topass, a handle, an operating arm adapted to be swung said handle againsta coin detained by said detent to swing said chute, and a cam to hestruck by said detent when the chute is so swung to cause the detent torelease the coin.

5. ln a coin-operated tin1e-controlled mechanism the core ination aswing ing coin-holder, er a starting means f r detaic said in its s oossuch at holder A together, a spring proper d to teen mit a dish: of lessthickness to pass, handle, an operating arm adapted to be swung by saidhandle against a coin detained by said detent to swing said holder tocarry said starting arm to starting position, so that it will bedetained there and hold th holder where it has been moved, a cam, adapteto be struck by said detent when the holder is so swung cause the detentto release the coin, thus permitting it to drop when the handle isreleased.

6. in a coin-operated time-controlled mechanism, the combination withswinging coin-chute, of a spring-detect adapted to retain a coin ofproper thickness in the chute, said detent comprising V-arins adapted toengage the coin to determine whether it is of proper thickness, ahandle, an operating arm adapted to he svvung joy said handle against acoin detained by said detent to swing said chute, operating mechanism, arelease for said operating mechanism actuated by said coin when so held,and means for releasing said coin upon release of said operatingmechanism.

7. In a coin-operated time-controlled mechanism, the combination with aswing ing coin-chute, of a spring-detent adapted to detain a coin oiproper thiclniess in the chute, said detent comprising i -arms adaptedto engage the coin to determine whether it is of proper thickness, ahandle, a finger connected to said handle and adapted to be movedthereby to strike about the center of a detained coin, so that aperforated Washer would permit the linger to pass beyond the properactuating point, and means adapted to release said detent when the chuteis swung by said finger and effective on a coin to move the chute,

8. ln coin-operated time-controlled mechanism, the combination withswing ing coin-chute, 013 a spring-detent adapted to retain a coin ofprop-er thicknessthe chute, said detent coninrising -arrns adapted toengage the coin todetermine whether it is of proper thickness, handle,an operating arm adapted to he swung by said handle against a coindetained by said detent to swin said chute rating inechanism, a releasefor said operating mechanism actuated by said coin when so held, meansfor releasing said coin upon release of said operating mechanism, saidchute comprising a need ineniher relatively to which the swinging chuteswings, and an abutment on said fixed member adapted to arrest any coinon the swinging chute which properly has been eiiective release theoperating mechanism.

9, In a coin-operated time-controlled mechanism, the combination with aswinging coin-chute including a tahle, oi a fixed chute adapted toreceive a coin from the;

swinging chute-table, a sgiring-detent adapt mosses ed to retain a coinof proper thickness in the swinging chute, but adapted to permit a diskof less thickness to pass the swin ing chute normally in position toallow a disk thereon to slide on to the. fixed chute, a handle, anoperating arm adapted to be swung by saicl handle against a coindetained by said cletent to swing the swinging chute, a releasingmechanism connected to move with said swinging chute, and adapted to beheld in swung posieion during a predetermined time, a lug on said fixedchute adapted to detain :1 released coin oil-said ehereon while thereleasing mechanism is 2G eiiective.

JOHN C. MQLAUGHLEN.

/Vitnewes:

EDITH LIBBE'E, ARTHUR A. QiOHNsON.

